Lost minigolf courses - Abingdon Crazy Golf

A look back at the old Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Meadows in Abingdon-on-Thames.

One of the courses we've visited and played on our travels but has since become a 'lost' course was the 10-hole Crazy Golf layout at the Abbey Meadows in my home town of Abingdon.

The course was the first one I ever played way back in the early 1980's.

The course had been in the park since the 1950's but was removed at the end of the 2016 season as part of renovations to the area.

It's always sad to see an old miniature golf course removed. Especially so when it's not even replaced by a new one.

The last hole of the first course I ever played

In August 2007 the course became the 31st played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Playing hole 5 in 2007

Playing hole 5 in 2012

Playing hole 5 for the very last time in 2016

We also revisited in June 2012 and December 2014.

The course was very mossy in 2014

Bun Throwing in Abingdon-on-Thames

It's been a year since Abingdon's last Bun Throwing event.

Last November my home town of Abingdon marked 100 years since the end of the First World War with a special Bun Throwing event in the market place.

Abingdon has a curious tradition of bun throwing

The Bun Throwing was the 35th event since 1761.

The first marked the Coronation of King George III. The last Bun Throwing held before the 2018 event was to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016.

I have attended each Bun Throwing in Abingdon in my lifetime, a total of 15 since 1981.

Related blog posts:
- A year since Abingdon's last Bun Throwing event
- Abingdon-on-Thames Bun Throwing timeline - 1761 to 2018

Adventure Golf at The Leys Recreation Ground in Witney

A visit to the Adventure Golf course at The Leys Recreation Ground in Witney, Oxfordshire.

Our trip to Southampton saw us visit 18 more courses, playing eight of them. One of the courses visited was the Adventure Golf course at The Leys Recreation Ground in Witney, Oxfordshire.

We hadn't expected to be visiting Witney, but as traffic meant our route changed we couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit the course.

Unfortunately we didn't get to have a game on it as it had already closed for the day. Earlier than the sign said.

We arrived in the park at 5.15pm on a Friday

The Adventure Golf course at The Leys Recreation Ground in Witney was the 869th visited on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

It looked like a nice layout.

The 9-hole course was designed and built by the team at HM Adventure Golf and opening in 2018.

 

Visit The Coffee Shed website for more information, opening times and prices for the Adventure Golf course.

Junkyard Golf in Oxford

A visit to Junkyard Golf in Oxford.

On Friday 9th November we swung by Junkyard Golf in my home city of Oxford.

Junkyard Golf Oxford is home to three 9-hole indoor Crazy Golf courses - 'Gary' is a scrapyard challenge, 'Bozo' is a circus-themed course and 'Pablo' is jungle-themed.

Junkyard Golf began in my new home city of Manchester and there are now also Junkyard Golf courses in London and Leeds.

You can find Junkyard Golf Oxford in the Westgate Social Street Food section of the Westgate shopping centre.

Check out the Junkyard Golf website for more details, opening times and prices.

Related blog posts:
- Junkyard Golf
- Oxford

Junkyard Crazy Golf in Oxford

New Junkyard Crazy Golf course opening in Oxford.

I've heard that the team at Junkyard Golf Club are opening a new course in Oxford later this year.

Junkyard Golf Club's brand of Crazy Golf isn't run of the mill

It's a smart move as Oxford has been crying out for a minigolf course for years. While there are three minigolf layouts in the city these are in parks on the outskirts, rather than in the city centre.

Growing up in nearby Abingdon I was sad to hear that the town's only Crazy Golf course was recently removed to make way for a new play area. At least people in the town can soon head over to Oxford for a game.

Part of the glow-in-the-dark section of the Junkyard Crazy Golf course in Manchester

Junkyard Golf Club currently has two locations - Manchester and London - with the Manchester course soon to be moving to a new permanent space at First Street after two successful spells as a pop-up at the Great Northern Warehouse and in Piccadilly. The London venue has three courses at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

The two 9-hole Junkyard Crazy Golf Club courses in Manchester's Piccadilly Place were the 718th and 719th courses visited on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour last November and in January this year they became the 421st and 422nd played.

Visit the Junkyard Golf Club website for more info.

Abingdon to host first-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race

First-ever World Championship Egg and Spoon Race to take place in Abingdon.

My home town of Abingdon-on-Thames is famous for its curious tradition of Bun Throwing, but this year a new World Title will be contested in the town's Abbey Gardens over the Easter weekend - the World Championship Egg & Spoon Race!

A world championship winning egg in 2012

A view of the Abbey Grounds on a frosty December day in 2014

I'm quite tempted to enter the event as I have a bit of a pedigree in egg and odd athletics based sports. In 2012 Jas Kukielka and I won the World Alternative Games Egg Throwing Championship in Wales and I also took part in the first-ever Ripping Yarns Hopathon in London. The World Championship Egg & Spoon Race title - and trophy presumably - would be a great addition to my sporting CV.

En route to an egg-based world title victory in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

In a hopping race on Hampstead Heath

Abingdon's World Championship Egg & Spoon Race has been inspired by Paul Gustafson, the award winning local author of the children’s ‘Eggbert’s Adventure’ books.

Many thanks to my mate Adam Dewar for letting me know about the event which is taking place on Saturday 15th April. Further details are available on the Visit Abingdon website.

Link:
- Visit Abingdon website

Related blog posts:
- Abingdon
- Eggs

Ten years ago today

A look back at the 10th course played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Ten years ago today we visited the 10th course on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. On a bitterly cold 23rd December 2006 Emily, Christopher and I headed along to the Horse and Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne, Oxfordshire to have a game on their beer garden Crazy Golf course.

Emily putting away as Christopher thinks 'What on Earth are we doing?'

What a course it was - we'd not seen anything like it before. And we haven't seen anything quite like it since!

One of the Crazy Golf holes in the Horse and Harrow pub beer garden on the 23rd December 2006

We revisited the course in April 2011.

The course in April 2011

A long minigolf hole

The green that Emily was putting on in the photo above

Back in 2006 we never realised quite how BIG the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour would become. To date we've visited 720 courses!

Y indeed!

I'm not sure if the Crazy Golf course is still at the pub. There's no mention of it on the pub's website and the last Google Street View image of the location is from April 2011 too. We'll have to swing by next time we're in the Abingdon / Didcot area...

Related blog posts:
- Crazy Golf at the Horse & Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne
- Crazy Golf at the Horse & Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne revisit
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems. Please do sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter too.

Crazy Golf in Abingdon's Abbey Meadows

A revisit to the first miniature golf course I ever played.

The Crazy Golf course at the Abbey Meadows in Abingdon-on-Thames

At the weekend I visited my home town of Abingdon-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. While there I had to go and have a look at the Crazy Golf course that was the first-ever minigolf course I played.

At the first minigolf course I ever played

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course became the 31st played in August 2007.

When we first walked up to the out-of season minigolf course we thought it had been felted, but no, it was a build-up of moss on holes one and two!

I last played the course in June 2012 in match-up against my brother Jon. That visit saw a rematch following our game in April 2012.

One of the tricky minigolf holes at the Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf course in Abingdon-on-Thames

Related Blog Posts:
- A Gottfried vs. Gottfried Crazy Golf Match in Abingdon-on-Thames
- A day out of Bun Throwing, Crazy Golf and Bar Billiards in Abingdon-on-Thames
- Abingdon Abbey Meadows Crazy Golf Course Replay on a Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Revisit
- Crazy Golf in Abingdon, Oxfordshire
- Abingdon
- Abingdon-on-Thames
- World of Bun Throwing blog
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Link:
- Abbey Meadows, Abingdon on the Vale of White Horse District Council website

A 'Royal' Diamond Jubilee Garden Party in the riverside village of Benson

Spotting 'The Queen' & 'Prince Philip' in Oxfordshire today!

After a brilliant day of Diamond Jubilee fun in my old home town of Abingdon-on-Thames we headed back to Luton today by way of the Yattendon & Frilsham Village Fete and the riverside village of Benson. Driving through the village we saw a ‘royal’ garden party!

'The Queen' & 'Prince Philip' enjoy a glass of wine at a 'Royal' Garden Party in Oxfordshire

More blog posts of our adventures, fun and games in Abingdon and beyond are to follow...

Crazy Golf at The Horse & Harrow Pub in West Hagbourne, Oxfordshire - April 2011

On our trip to Oxfordshire last weekend we made a revisit to the Horse & Harrow Pub in the village of West Hagbourne. We originally visited the Pub and its 9-hole Crazy Golf course on the 23rd December 2006 when the course became the 10th course visited on what would become our epic Crazy World of Minigolf Tour!

The weather on this visit in April 2011 was far better than the very cold and wet winters day all those years ago!

We didn't play the Crazy Golf course on this particular visit, but instead had a Pool match, which I won 2-1.

For other course visits check out the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour List.

The Village of West Hagbourne had also got into the spirit of the week, with St George's Day & Royal Wedding celebrations including St George (with the face of Prince William!) and a few Dragons around the village!